ST - Anthony Shrine: Saturday, February 11 - Friday, February 17
ST - Anthony Shrine: Saturday, February 11 - Friday, February 17
ST - Anthony Shrine: Saturday, February 11 - Friday, February 17
Anthony Shrine
A prophetic, Franciscan, Catholic community welcoming all people through prayer and outreach.
We extend a special welcome to everyone visiting the Shrine for the first time.
www.stanthonyshrine.org
February 12, 2017
Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Greetings of peace. The missive below is a beautiful piece written as a Christmas message for
2016. The author is Fr. Phil OShea, OFM, a greatly loved Franciscan who was stationed at Arch
for many years. He is now in the Friars skilled care facility in Ringwood NJ.
I thought Id send you a few thoughts at Christmas time on the joyful gift of being bedridden. Oh! You say
in horror; how can you associate joy with being an invalid? In the almost 18 months that I have been away
from Boston I have had a good deal of time to meditate on the meaning of this so radical change in my way
of life.
The first point I want to make is that opportunity is given in abundance for real contemplation on who one is
and how one is to live. I cannot recommend too highly the need throughout our lives to consider our innate
ability to adjust. We must give ourselves many examples of how we adjust to little things so that when the
time comes we are able to make even greater adjustments. The words which must guide us are from the
Epistle to the Romans (chapter 8). If God be with us who (or what) can be against us. Becoming
increasingly less able to function completely we must learn to function with what we have. We must not let
the memory of our days of greater capacity interfere with our resolution positively to adjust to new
situations. We must look at every change, however radical, as a challenge. We have not changed even
though our external capacity has lessened.
While we are still greatly able to do the things our life requires we must be, at the same time, willing through
meditation, to see how completely we remain ourselves as situations develop. We have to come to realize
that we cannot define ourselves by what we are able to do, rather we must learn to discover our real identity
and with that knowledge, come to face any necessary adjustments.
I have learned over these past few months how to develop qualities of mind and spirit of which I was not
really aware when I was at full capacity. Examination of conscience, so important to the growth of the
spiritual life, becomes now not a brief and occasional review of my sins but rather a review of my whole
history.
If we did not keep one before, a journal at this stage of life becomes a necessary tool for more perfect
understanding and adjustment to our situation.
My writing about these matters to you in this Christmas season is to share with you the increasing happiness
I am constantly discovering in myself and in my surroundings and to assure you that you can experience a
realization of the possibility for this happiness for yourself and a deep sense of how change in its many
forms, when looked at positively, becomes a companion to growth.
Please look the future in the face and confident of Gods presence, his love, and his direction, look forward,
not to the lessening of capacity, but to the increase in of the ability to deal with whatever may come along. I
want to share with you my own deep peace of mind and to assure you that you may never lose this gift so
long as you see things through Gods eyes.
SENIORS PROGRAM
Wednesdays
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUNG ADULTS 10:00 am Mass
Saturday, 2/25 from 8-11:30 pm: Corsages & Cumberbunds 10:30 am Light exercise/stretching
Winter Formal at the Westin Hotel. Go to 11:00 am Activity or Presentation
stcecilia.eventbrite.com for tickets.
12:00 Noon Lunch
Sunday, 2/26 from 11am 12:30pm: Bible Study at Uno Due
Go, next door to the Shrine. No bible or Bible Study
experience required. February Calendar
th
15 : Valentines Day Cherry Bread
Save the Date: 3/11/17 10am 3pm: One Day Lenten
Retreat: Living out Lent. 22nd: An Explanation of the Psalms
For more information, please email: [email protected] with Br. Daniel Murray, OFM